The Show is Hotter Than Ever, Dearest Reader

A plucky heroine emerges in Season 3 of Bridgerton. Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) chucks aside any remnants of citrus color and ventures down a bold new path of courageous conviction. More or less. It’s just one element, albeit the main one, to enjoy in this delightful new season of Bridgerton.

Audiences have had to wait several years to get here, of course, fully devouring the truncated Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story last year to hold them over. The wait is worth it, even though this round of Bridgerton seems prime for a makeover itself. The “will they/won’t they/God yes, they will” formula may only go so far. Or not. It still works for Grey’s Anatomy, creator Shonda Rhimes’s first breakout hit. Why not here? It does satisfy a particular craving, in fact, flirting with us until it leads us into full-out foreplay for, well, the inevitable histoire d’amour.

Sex. There’s no shortage of it in Season 3. Jonathan Bailey (Fellow Travelers) competes for shirtless stud status as Anthony alongside actor Luke Newton, whose Colin Bridgerton returns from his travels looking more dashing than ever. Colin, of course, remains the object of Penelope’s affection, even though last season — or, in Bridgerton time, several months ago — she overheard him telling society gents that he’d never consider courting her. But alas, the two will not stay apart for long, and by the end of the first of four episodes in this first round — Part 2 drops June 13 — their fates overlap yet again in a twist that may charm some audiences, while others will roll an eye. Either way, you’ll binge. It’s Bridgerton.

Bridgerton

4/5

Release Date December 25, 2020

Seasons 3

Creator Chris Van Dusen

How Bridgerton Brings Penelope and Colin Together

That twist pulls out the Pygmalion card when Colin decides to help Penelope find someone to truly court. He’s mortified after their inevitable confrontation at the end of Episode 1 and wants to help his friend boost her social standing. You can see where this is going. Still, the plot device works, but this is Bridgerton and there will always be bumps along the carriage ride.

After spending some time away, Penelope has resurrected her Lady Whistledown column upon her return, and while the friction between her former best friend, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) remains intact, Eloise has agreed to keep Penelope’s secret. Adding yet another divide between the former friends is that Eloise is now palling around with young ladies higher up in society who diss Penelope at every turn.

Related Bridgerton Season 3 Release Schedule: When Will Part 2 Air? Everyone is gagging for more steamy goodness from Bridgerton’s third season, when can we expect the next episodes to drop?

It’s nothing new for our gal. She’s been the brunt of jokes from her daft older sisters (Bessie Carter’s Prudence and Harriet Cains’ Philippa) and greedy mother Portia (Polly Walker) for some time. While everybody is yet again fully invested in the debutante season in Regency Mayfair, Penelope, ever the shrewd observer, continues to linger off to the side while Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) contemplates choosing her new “diamond.”

The series takes delight in that, in fact — lush balls, lavish attire – but between these silly social mores, insipid conversations and, well, dreamy Colin hovering about, Penelope takes to the fancy pen during an emotional outburst. Her next Lady Whistledown column challenges the Queen and mocks Colin in the process. “Your serve, Your Majesty,” Lady Whistledown writes, tempting the Queen to be more inventive in her matchups. To which our Highness — Rosheuvel, always in fine form — muses, “I do love a game, especially when I am so often the victor.”

Many Bridgertons, Many Stories

Meanwhile, the Bridgerton household is full of all these moving pieces. Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Bailey) has returned from honeymoon with bride Kate (Simone Ashley). They’re ready to produce an heir, or just have some steamy fun trying. The show keeps their storyline moving, something that was a bit lost in Season 2, after the departure of Regé-Jean Page.

Then there’s Francesca — Hannah Dodd taking over the role from Ruby Stokes — whose coming out to society becomes a main theme here. There’s a hint that Francesca and Penelope may bond, as they both feel more comfortable on the fringe of societal pressures. Dowager Viscountess Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) remains ever-busy, hoping Anthony produces an heir and Francesca becomes more serious about landing a viable suitor.

Related Bridgerton Season 3 Family Tree and Character Ages, Explained With season 3 of Bridgerton coming out in May 2024, let’s take a look back at the massive Bridgerton family tree and all the characters’ ages.

Getting Body Positive with Penelope’s Sex Scenes

Netflix

The Bridgerton family is the core of this series, which pulls so wonderfully from Julia Quinn’s books, first penned more than 20 years ago. But it’s Penelope who steals the show this season, and, in turn, becomes the most likable heroine to root for here. She’s the Everywoman, yes, but a person with many emotional layers that the series so swimmingly explores. Penelope is complex and multi-layered. She’s real, which makes her far more interesting than some of the show’s other characters. In this shining role, Coughlan will undoubtedly turn heads this season.

About that… you can expect Penelope to be given the same kind of sensuous and steamy scenes that Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Kate received in past seasons. The point is made. Women do not have to be thin — read: “perfect” — in order to experience fabulous sex with a partner who truly appreciates every facet of them. To that end, like Shrill and Girls before it, this season of Bridgerton usually doesn’t hold back.

An Opportunity for Growth

Netflix

Oddly though, at times, it does hold back. That is to say, for all its diversity in casting all kinds of characters in an unconventional period piece, Bridgerton is still very much a heteronormative show. How refreshing it was to experience Sam Clemmett and Freddie Dennis as Young Brimsley and Reynolds, in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. It gave that outing yet another compelling storyline with embraceable characters.

Bridgerton would do well should it include more LGBTQ characters and storylines. We had a hint of that in Season 1 with Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) flirtation with Sir Henry Granville. Was Benedict gay? Bisexual? The show never rose to the occasion to explore it further. Chances are, we’re ready for a mostly queer Bridgerton season.

Related What Makes the Bridgerton Franchise a Perfect Blend of Period Drama and Modern Storytelling Bridgerton’s unique combination of period drama and modern conventions makes it so popular. Here’s exactly why.

For now, we’ll feast on what we have. The Penelope-Colin storyline lands well and will amuse you as much as it titillates. The characters we’ve all grown to love — Adjoa Andoh’s divine Lady Agatha Danbury among them — are back, and the series incorporates several B plotlines to stir up more interest and reflect upon what other households, beyond the Bridgertons, face. Lady Portia Featherington’s plight to land an heir and keep her fortune is woven nicely through the season. “Do you think babies just appear in the womb? You must be ‘familiar’ with him often,” she snips at one of her daughters about her mating habits.

Great dialogue abounds, of course. “A diamond is precious precisely because it is rare,” Queen Charlotte tells Lady Danbury. “I threw a diamond ball and anxious mammas expect a diamond every year. I threw a zebra ball once. Do they expect a zebra each year?” or Eloise Bridgerton musing about embarking on yet another season of romantic sportsmanship, “I’ve lost the battle and have no appetite for the war.”

And, of course, there’s the wickedly delightful prose of Lady Whistledown, which is some masterful wordsmanship all around. Between its mix of heartache, humor, and exceptional storytelling — and those steamy bedroom scenes — Season 3 does what it set out to: It still manages to take hold of you, flirt with you, and make you feel a sense of empathy and whimsy. Most of all, it gives Nicola Coughlan plenty of space to show us what a wonderful actress she truly is. Enchanting and mostly fun, Bridgerton still delights, and we’re bound to continue our love affair with the show. Season 3, Part 1 of Bridgerton is streaming on Netflix.

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